Chrysalis
by JA Baker
Summary: Sequel to Unexpected news: an attempt of Rommie’s life has unforeseen consequences…
1. Barricade

Ok you luck people, here it is: the final part of the 'Face the Music, Intolerance, Unexpected News' story-arc. Sorry it's taken so long to start, but I have been writing other stuff you know.  
  
Chrysalis, part 1  
  
Dylan banged on the door again, "Look, I don't want them here anymore then you do, but orders are orders, you know that." Silence was his only answer. He tried again, "Look, you can't stay in there for the next three days: you have duty shifts." "I've taken a short leave of absence: You signed the flexi yourself." Came back a voice from the other side of the hatch.  
  
Beka stood leaned against the bulkhead a few meters away, "Dylan, I think you should try and understand where she's coming from: last time we had a run-in with the New Salem government, they torched the two of us, threatened to blow-up the ship and tried to kill her. I think she's well within her rights to be a little apprehensive about this visit of theirs." Dylan nodded, "I understand that, but Stark has been over thrown, and the new government is more tolerable towards AI's."  
  
Andromeda's holographic form appeared next to Dylan, "She's not the only one who's unhappy with this: both myself and Andrew have grave misgiving as to this whole endeavour." Dylan felt surrounded, "Grate: my wife has barricaded herself in her quarters with our son, my first officer thinks she's entitled to do so, my ship's AI and it's new Avatar say the same thing. And I thought I was captain!"  
  
The hatched opened, "Look Dylan, I understand that this whole thing was pressed upon you by the admiralty and all, but I am not leaving this room until they are off the ship. End of discussion. And if Tyr asks, I've only borrowed his Gauss-rifle: he can have it back later." Dylan smiled at his wife, "Look, Rommie, you can't stay in there for the next few days. For one thing, where will I sleep?" Rommie looked at him, a serious expression on her face, "Guest quarters." Andromeda looked up, "Dylan, the ambassadors ship has just docked." Dylan went to say something to Rommie, but the door slammed shut in his face. He gave up, "Ok, but I'm not going to enjoy this one bit without her there."  
  
The honour guard formed up just inside the main airlock, and Dylan had to admit that the new crew where shaping out just fine. Well, all but one: at the end of the line stood Andrew, the ship's new Avatar, his forcelance out and extended. Dylan walked up to him, "I don't think you're be needing that today." Andrew looked at him, "History says otherwise: these people have proven that they have no respect for AI's, and have murdered hundreds of us." Dylan shock his head, "Things have changed: if they still did that, they'd never have been considered for membership in the commonwealth. Trust me, you won't need the forcelance." The Avatar looked like he was about to say something, but instead just collapsed his weapon and pout it back in its holster. Dylan nodded, "Good. Ok, let's meet the ambassador."  
  
TBC 


	2. The Ambassador

Chrysalis, part 2  
  
The airlock opened, and a rather attractive woman in a revelling dress stepped through. She walked straight up to Dylan and held out her hand, "Captain Hunt I presume? Elizabeth Spencer, official representative of New Salem. I would like to offer you a full formal apology from my people for the treatment you received on your visit to our world two years ago."  
  
Dylan nodded slightly, taking her hand, "Although I accept you apology, I do not think I will ever be able to forget what happened." Elizabeth nodded, "That is understandable Captain: although I do not understand how, you where obviously attached to you Avatar. Maybe you did indeed love her." This comment brought several half-hidden sniggers from the honour guard. Dylan glared at them, then turned back to the ambassador, "Your worlds records are not complete: Rommie was not killed on New Salem: my engineer was able to trick Minister Stark into believing she was, but she wasn't."  
  
Elizabeth looked confused, "Then I am surprised that it is not here." Andrew coughed, earning him a glance from Beka. Dylan smiled slightly, "She is understandably unhappy with your visit, and has locked herself in our quarters." Elizabeth nodded, "So you are still involved with it then?" Dylan smiled, "You could say that." He raised his hand, his wedding ring glinting in the light.  
  
Eyes wide, Elizabeth looked at the ring, a look of absolute shock on her face, "But how could you marry a machine?" Dylan smiled, "It's a long story, and maybe someone will tell you someday, but not me, and not now. If you would walk this way, Andrew here will show you to your quarters." The avatar nodded, leading the confused diplomat away.  
  
Beka walked up to Dylan as the honour guard broke up and walked away, "That was a bit cruel: having Andrew escort someone who doesn't like AI's." Dylan smiled, "Cruel to who: her or him? Anyway, it'll give her time to get used to him was an individual." Andromeda's hologram appeared. "I must say I enjoyed that. And so did Rommie: she watched it from the monitor in your quarters." Dylan nodded, "What dose the intelligence file on the Ambassador say about her feelings towards AI's?" Andromeda arched an eyebrow, "It says that she doesn't like them, but she's not as radical as our old friend Stark. Apart from that, nothing."  
  
Andrew led Elizabeth along the corridors towards the VIP-quarters. The Ambassador turned to him, "So how DID your captain end up married to the ship's Avatar?" Andrew smiled, "That was a bit before my time, but the story goes that the nano-bots used to keep her in working order reverted to their base programming, and started re-building her body on the molecular level. Being Nietzschean in design, the nano's started by building a reproductive system. Rommie fell pregnant." Elizabeth's eyes went wide, "They had a child?" Andrew nodded, "A son, Paul. So anyway, when Dylan found out that Rommie was pregnant, he asked her to marry him, and she said yes. They've been married for about a year now."  
  
TBC 


	3. Continuation of politics

Chrysalis, part 3  
  
Elizabeth was confused, "So she is still the ship's Avatar?" Andrew shock his head, "No: after she fell pregnant Dylan had her records amended to class her as a cyborg, and she now acts as the ship's AI-systems officer. We have a new Avatar." He finished as they reached the VIP quarters. Elizabeth stepped inside, confused, "Who is the new Avatar?" Andrew smiled, "I Am." The door slid shut.  
  
Beka stood duty as a second shuttle, this one carrying the Elizabeth's personal staff arrived. She looked them over, seeing if there was anyone she recognised, but there wasn't. She took a deep breath, "If you would like to follow me, we have arranged for you to have quarters near the Ambassador." The visitors nodded and followed her along the same rout Andrew had taken.  
  
One of the security staff waited until Beka had left then went straight to Elizabeth's room. The Ambassador activated privacy mode. "It is true then?" The agent asked. Elizabeth nodded, "Yes, Captain Hunt took grate pleasure in telling me himself. He thinks that it is safe here on his ship, so far from our world. You will prove him wrong." The agent nodded, "You where able to get a weapon onboard?" Elizabeth pulled a thing metal cylinder from on of her bags, "They still don't check diplomatic baggage. Remember: this is only short range, and you will only get one shot at destroying the abomination. If you find yourself unable to fulfil your mission, there is a second abomination onboard: the crew call it Andrew." She smiled slightly, "In fact, if the two of them are in close proximity, you may be able to get them both, but the main target is still the one called Rommie."  
  
Dylan walked onto command, still smiling to himself: it was perhaps not diplomatic to act the way he had to an ambassador, but he hadn't wanted this mission in the first place. Well, it wasn't like the admiral could fire him for it. Tyr stood at the weapons station, "Are our 'guests' all onboard?" Dylan smiled, remembering how the Nietzschean had been treated on their visit to New Salem, "Yes, our 'guests' are all onboard. Now all we have to do is transport them to San-Ska-Re without any trouble. But, given the number of your people in the crew, and our guest's feelings towards them, that could be a problem. Andromeda."  
  
The AI's holographic form appeared next to him, "Yes?" Dylan smiled, "Can you please adjust the duty roster to keep the Nietzschean members of the crew as far away from the New Salem party as possible please." The Hologram nodded, "Done. Rommie asked me to tell you she wants to talk when you have some free time." Dylan looked at his watch, "Well, I'm not on duty for a while, so I'll go see her now."  
  
The security agent slipped along the corridor, the ECM-suit he had no keeping him from showing up on the internal sensors. He ducked into a side- room and Dylan walked passed and disappeared into his quarter. The agent smiled: all the better that he should witness this. He took the cylinder from his pocket and pressed a button on the end, then rolled it along the floor so it rested against the door. There was a beep, followed by a scream from behind the door.  
  
TBC 


	4. Consequences

Chrysalis, part 4  
  
Dylan had been talking to Rommie when her eyes suddenly rolled back in her head and she fell. He leapt forwards and was able to grab her before she hit the deck. He tried to wake her, but there was no response. Blind panic took over, "Andromeda!" Silence. "Andromeda, respond!" Still the AI failed to respond he looked up at the ceiling, "Andromeda, can you hear me?" His words echoed off the walls.  
  
Gently lifting Rommie in his arms, Dylan carried her to the door. He pressed the opener, but the door refused to move. He pressed it again, harder, but still it refused to budge. He kicked out at it, the hollow reverberations echoing, but till the door refused to move. Desperation setting in, he careful drew his forcelance and pointed it at the door, but when he tried to fire, the weapon remained inert.  
  
Dylan's eyes darted around the room: Tyr's Gauss Rifle stood against one wall, but the power display was blank. Gently, he walked across the room and through into the nursery. Paul lay asleep in his crib, a Dylan tried the old door that led out into the corridor beyond: the door opened when commanded, and Dylan staggered out into the corridor. He gently placed Rommie on the deck, then went back in and took Paul from the crib. He looked around: there was no one in sight.  
  
"Andromeda!" He yelled at the top of his voice. The AI's holographic form appeared before him, "There's no need to shout." She looked down at Rommie and her eyes went wide, "What happened?" Dylan shook his head, "I don't know: we where just talking and suddenly she collapsed. I tried to call you from inside but you didn't respond. The door didn't work, and nether did my forcelance."  
  
Andromeda's eyes narrowed, "There was an electro-magnetic pulse originating just outside your quarters 72-seconds ago." Dylan looked up, "Some sort of accident?" Andromeda shook her head, "No: all of my fault-detection systems show no abnormal reading at the time of the pulse." Dylan carefully lifted Rommie over one shoulder and used his other arm to carry his son, "Have Trance and Harper report to medical, stat!" Andromeda nodded and blinked out as Dylan started off along the corridor.  
  
Harper paced medical, waiting for Dylan to arrive. Trance looked at him, "Calm down will you!" Harper looked at her, "How can I calm down? You don't think Andromeda noticed what we where doing when she burst in on us like that? I really need to adjust the privacy mode settings." Trance smiled, "If I didn't know better, I'd say you where ashamed of our relationship." Harper stopped pacing, and, putting his hands on Trance's shoulders, smiled, "It's not that, it's just, I wanted to keep it just between the two of us for a little bit longer. You know what the others are like."  
  
Trance was about to reply when Dylan came through the door and handed her Paul. He gently la Rommie on one of the examination tables, and Harper scanned her, "Ok, Andromeda said she took a EM-pulse, but that shouldn't have do to much damage: I built some heavy-duty surge protectors into her." He looked at the scanner, "She has some mild burning around the connections between her organic and synthetic parts." Trance looked at the scanner, "I'll have to re-activate her nano-bots to fix that, but it shouldn't take to long." Harper nodded, "She's locked into a self diagnostic loop, but as soon as the damage is repair, she should be fine."  
  
"Good, keep an eye on her please." Dylan nodded, "Andromeda, have Tyr oversee a full security investigation, and check your internal sensor logs: I want to account fore everyone on this ship at the time of the EMP serge. I want to know where they where and what they where doing." Harper blushed slightly and got back to work.  
  
TBC  
  
(In case any of you are interested, I've posted my first R-rated Andromeda story, but you'll have to look it up under my profile as they don't show up on the main directory.) 


	5. Looking for answers

Chrysalis, part 5  
  
Tyr stalked along the corridor towards the VIP quarters, his face set like stone. He didn't like the people of New Salem, in fact, he didn't like anyone who called him an Uber, but this was different: in hurting Rommie they had distracted Dylan, and that impeded his survival. A little voice in the back of his head laughed, "Right, and that's the only reason you're anger at them right now?" He shook his head: ok, so he liked Rommie as a person, and as a shipmate, maybe even as a friend on some level, and he didn't like the idea that someone had hurt her: He'd been hanging around with the others way too long. He reached the Ambassadors room, and after straitening his uniform, pressed the buzzer.  
  
It took a few minuets for Elizabeth to answer, but the door finally opened, and she looked up at the big Nietzschean. Her smiled turned to a scowl, "Yes?" Tyr managed to keep his rage under control, "There has been an assault on a member of the crew, and the only person unaccounted for at the time is a member of your staff." Elizabeth just looked at him, "Who was the victim?" Tyr's eyes narrowed, "Lieutenant Hunt: she was in her quarters when someone set off an EMP-grenade outside the door."  
  
Elizabeth looked at him, "You can't possible believe that myself or any member of my staff had anything to do with such an act?" Tyr growled slightly, "Given your planets past treatment of the Lieutenant and this ship, I have no trouble believing that you could have ordered it. And if you think for one minuet that you status as an Ambassador will keep you safe, think again: Dylan's preoccupied with dealing with the aftermath of the attack, but as soon as that's done with, he's going to want some answers, and he'll get them, one way or another."  
  
"You don't seriously think that the famous Captain Hunt would risk his carrier over an Android?" asked Elizabeth, her head tilted slightly to the side. Tyr fought the urge to snap her neck where she stood, "For an android, no, probably not. But for his wife, the mother of his child? In a heartbeat." He straightened his back, "I will want to talk to the man in question no later than this afternoon: if he fails to report to my office, I will send a security detail for him." He turned and strode off.  
  
Dylan was sat on a bed in medical, keeping an eye on Rommie's still form, "So you say that the EMP emitter is Nietzschean in design? That makes no sense." Tyr nodded, "The only Pride that builds or uses EMP-grenades is Drago-Kazov." Dylan noticed his tactical officer almost spat the last two words, "But why would they help New Salem? And why would a people with a hatred of Nietzscheans trust them enough to accept that help?" Tyr looked at Dylan, "You: you've meddled in the affairs of the Drago's enough times that they have a price on your head the size of a Nightsider's ransom, and the good people of New Salem might be a little put-out with the trick we pulled on them last year."  
  
Dylan nodded, "I know. Get me answers Tyr, and I don't care how you get them."  
  
TBC 


	6. Suspect everyone

Chrysalis, part 6  
  
Tyr sat at the desk, uncomfortable with his surroundings: when he had signed on with Dylan, he had never thought that he would end up wearing a High Guard uniform or having his own office. But, as head of security as well as the tactical officer, he needed a place to do the seemingly never- ending stream of paperwork that a crew as large as the Andromeda's created.  
  
And now he had a real crime to solve: someone on the ship had tried to assassinate a member of the crew. And more than that, the victim was the captain's wife, and a friend of his. It made it very hard to be objective when your emotions got in the way. He was Nietzschean: his people didn't DO emotions, at lest not like this. The only thing keeping him from storming off was the fact that the room's other two occupants where even more uncomfortable than he was.  
  
Trance and Harper sat in the two chairs facing Tyr's desk, and he could smell the fear coming off of them. Well, off of Harper at lest: from Trance he got, as ever, nothing. He leaned forwards, a huge smile playing on his lips, "Now, I have been able to account for the location and actions of all but three people at the time of the attack: Ambassador Spencer's head of security, Robert Masters, and the two of you." Harper smiled nervously, "You can't seriously think we had anything to do with it?"  
  
Tyr looked straight through the young engineer, "I'm Nietzschean: I suspect EVERYONE." Harper seemed to shrink in his seat. Tyr's gaze moved across to Trance, "Are you going to tell me what that the two of you where up to in his quarters with privacy-mode engaged?" Trance smiled, "Privacy-mode means it'd private." Tyr raised an eyebrow, "And what could the two of you possibly be doing that you're not willing to tell me?"  
  
Harper broke, "We where in bed together ok! We've been seeing each other for about two months now, but we wanted to keep it secret." Tyr leaned back in his chair, "Well I've known about the two of you since it first began: you can't fool a Nietzschean nose." Harper looked at him, "Then why put us through all this?" Tyr grinned, "Well, 1) it was fun, and 2) I can't be seen to play favourites: I had to investigate everyone, even Dylan, or the real culprit could get away."  
  
Trance raised an eyebrow "You investigated Dylan to see if he might have tried to kill Rommie?" Tyr shrugged, "A surprisingly high number of murders are committed by the spouse or significant other of the deceased. And like I said: I'm Nietzschean, I suspect everyone." Harper relaxed, "So you think it's this Robert Masters?" Tyr nodded, "Yes, but I need proof. I want you to go over Andromeda's internal sensor logs with a fine-toothed comb: She didn't pick the attacker up, but they must have left a trail somewhere."  
  
TBC 


	7. Prime suspect

Little writer's block on Echoes of future past (how the hell am I going to end that story?), so I decided to have a go at finishing this chapter, as Chrysalis is next on my 'to-do' list.

Chrysalis, part 7

Robert Masters sat on a chair in Tyr's office, as calm as could be. The Nietzschean looked at him from behind the desk, "I take it you understand the seriousness of what has happened: a member of this ship's crew has been attacked. At this time, we don't know if she's going to survive or not. Given who she is, it is a good guess that Captain Hunt will be more than a little angry if she doesn't." Masters shrugged, "Well, I don't see what it has to do with me: I was with the Ambassador, engaged in a privet meeting to discus security for our arrival at San-Ska-Re."

Tyr's eyes narrowed, "At the moment you are the prime suspect of what could become a murder investigation, so if I where you, I'd be a bit more serious about these proceedings." Masters smiled, "May I remind you that I am only here out of curtsey: I have diplomatic immunity, and as such, had I committed any crime on this ship, the most you could do is put me off at the first available Planet or Drift. As that happens to be San-Ska-Re, and we are due there in a little over 24-hours, I shall take my leave of you." With that, he stood and walked out.

****************

Dylan looked at the report into Tyr's interview of Masters, "He's good, I'll give him that: he didn't answer any of the questions straight enough for Andromeda to get a clear reading as to whether he was ling or not. I'd say he's been trained to withstand normal interrogation techniques, witch implies he's more than just a simple security guard." Beka nodded, "Tyr thinks he did it, and I have to agree, but he knows how to play that diplomatic immunity card, and I doubt that the Admiralty would be willing to go to bat over this if we threw him in the brig."

Nodding, Dylan turned back to Rommie's still form, "It would be a pity if we developed engine trouble that delayed our arrive by a day or two. Have Harper give the Slipstream drive the once over." Beka nodded, knowing when to read between the lines, "I'll get him on it a once. When was the last time you slept?" Dylan looked at his watch, "Night before last." Beka looked at him, then over to Rommie "You'll not help her if you ware yourself out like this: Trance is looking after Paul, so go back to your quarters and…" She stopped mid sentence, realising what she had said, "Shit! Dylan, I didn't mean for it to come out like that!" Dylan nodded, "It's ok Beka, I understand, but I'm not leaving her: the doctors are going to move her to one of the privet rooms, and I'll be able to get some sleep in a chair."

Andrew walked in and nodded, "Captain, Commander." The Avatar stood against one wall, his eyes on Rommie. Beka turned to Dylan, "Is he here often?" Dylan nodded, "When he's not needed elsewhere. He's very close to Rommie: they're almost like brother and sister, and in a way, they are. He often asks her for advice about dealing with us organics, stuff like that." Beka shrugged, "Understand really: apart from Andromeda, they're the closet thing either of them has to family."

TBC


	8. The enemy of my enemy…

Ok, I've finished by Stargate SG-1/Rainbow Six crossover, so now I can get back to work on this.

Chrysalis, part 8

Andromeda exited slipstream at the next transfer point, and an explosion rocked the ship. Surprisingly, Dylan smiled when he felt the deck shift beneath his feet, "Andromeda, report." The AI's holographic form appeared before him, a thin smile on her lips; "A power relay in the slipstream regulator overloaded. No injures reported, but we will be stuck here for at lest two days." Dylan nodded, "Have Harper get to work on it, and give me ship-wide."

There was a chime as the PA system came online, "Attention all hands, this is the Captain speaking: that jolt you all just felt was a power relay in the slipstream regulator overloading. There is no danger to the ship, but it dose mean we are going to be delayed by around 48-hours. That is all." He leaned back against the wall, "5, 4, 3, 2, 1, now." Andromeda grinned, "Ambassador Spencer wishes talk to you." Dylan nodded, turning to the nearest monitor, "Put her through."

The image hanged to show the New Salem diplomat, "What is going on Captain Hunt?" Dylan looked at her innocently, "Just a minor problem with the slipstream drive: you just can't get the parts nowadays. It should be rectified within the next two days." The Ambassador looked unhappy, "Can you send for another ship?" Dylan shrugged, "We could, but by the time one arrived, we'd be ready to go anyway, so there isn't much point. I will have a Slipfighter go ahead and tell them that we will be late." Ambassador Spencer scowled as she cut the link.

Harper rounded the corner, breathe less, "Dylan, you are not going to believe this!"

*********************************************************************

The screen flickered for a moment, and then the playback began. Harper pointed to the time display in the corner, "Ok, now Andromeda was unable to find anything on her sensors, but when I checked the logs for the security camera outside your quarters, we found this."

There was movement at the edge of the frame, and a black suited figure slowly edge towards the hatch. It ducked into a side room as Dylan approached. No sooner was the captain through the doorway, then the figure returned, and drew the now familiar EMP grenade from its pocket and threw it at the door. The image blanked out as the grenade detonated.

Harper shook his head, "Even after I showed Andrew the video, Andromeda was unable to find any trace of our man in black on her sensor logs." Dylan nodded, "That's because they're wearing a Argosy Special-operations ECM sneaker suit. The only people with access to that kind of tech are…"

"The Knights of Genetic Purity." Tyr finished the sentence for him, his eyes burning with rage, "They like us about as much as the good people of New Salem and the Drago-Kazov put together." Dylan nodded, "And if they can set as off against the Drago's, we'll be doing their work for them. Very cleaver. So, we need to find a link between Robert Masters and the Genites." Tyr nodded, "We also need to find that ECM suit, or at lest come up with a way to detect it somehow." Harper nodded, "I'll get right on it."

To Be Continued…


	9. Down the rabbit hole…

Yes, it is indeed good to be back. I always intended to get back to this story; it was just a matter of me going round the bend trying to write 4 or 5 stories at one time.

Chrysalis, part 9

Dylan sat looking at the bed: Rommie lay unmoving, still as the preverbal grave. The small room of the main med-deck was quite, only the sound of his breathing and the gentle hum of the air-conditioning to keep him company. The reassuring shape of two armed Lancers could be seen through the frosted glass window in the door. Tyr had selected two Nietzscheans for the job, on the grounds that they where lest likely to help a Genite agent.

The Knights of Genetic Purity, an organisation founded by High Guard officers, dedicated to the death of all 'polluted' humans. The very concept disgusted Dylan: no true High Guard officer would ever consider genocide. But the sad fact was that the Genites probably had more agents within the new High Guard, and possibly even Andromeda's expanded crew, than the Commonwealth had within the Knights.

Dylan cold understand why the Genites where after him: not only was he half genetically engender, he had seriously damaged their fleet when they had been searching from Tyr's son. He had no idea how they though about Rommie: in the old Commonwealth, AI's had been treated the same as organics, but there had never been a case like his wife's before.

The door opened, Andrew stepping through, "Sorry, am I disturbing you?" Dylan shook his head, "No, no: Come in." The Avatar nodded, standing against one wall, silently watching his 'sister'. Dylan looked at him, "Can I ask you a personal question?" Andrew blinked, "Of course you can." Dylan took a deep breath, "Do you ever think about death?"

Andrew looked a little stunned; "I am able to comprehend a time where I may cases to function, that I may be destroyed. I now that I am by no way immortal, even if my potential lifespan is measured in centuries rather than decades. I have never really considered my own death, but I am aware that it is possible. Why do you ask?" Dylan smiled slightly: Andrew was a lot more curies then Rommie ever was. Then the smiled died on his lips, "I was just wounding if Rommie ever contemplated death. We both presumed that she would out live me, but now…"

A knock at the door disturbed him before e could delve any further into his own fears. Harper stood in the doorway, Trance just behind him, "Dylan, we have something we need to show you." He handed over a flexi, "The damage done by the EMP grenade has been repaired, and the nano-bots have healed the burns, but Rommie is still stuck in a diagnostic loop." Dylan blinked, "In common?" Trance sighed, "If she was fully human, I'd say she was in a coma. We have no way of knowing when, or even if, she'll come round." Dylan collapsed back into his chair.

Harper face was grim, "The nano-bots are also still at work. We tried to shut them down, but they didn't respond. There is no way of knowing what's going on from out here." Dylan looked up, "What do you mean: from here?" Harper knelt down so his face was level with Dylan's, "There is a possibility that someone, either myself, Andrew or Andromeda, may be able to back-track Rommie's uplink and get past the diagnostic loop and find out what's going on inside her mind. It would be a near total invasion of privacy, but it may tell us what's going on." Dylan looked at his wife's still form, "Do it."

*********************************************************************

Harper activated the link through his data-port, and found himself standing in the familiar soundings of Andromeda's central core. The main AI's form appeared next time him, along with Andrews. Harper nodded, "Ok, lets go." A doorway flashed into existence before the three of them, and Andromeda produced a glowing key. The key entered the lock, and the door swung open. Harper smiled, "Very theatrical."

The pathway representing the link between Andromeda and Rommie was not as bight as the main core, but their where still signals flowing backwards and forwards. Harper looked at them, "What are these?" Andromeda looked at them, "Basic data flows: they keep the link active and stop it from dissipating." Harper looked worried, "If they where to stop while we where inside Rommie's mind…" Andromeda shook her head; "I'd have plenty of warning to get us out in time."

Andrew walked on, stopping when he came to three doorways, "Now this is odd." Harper looked at the doors: they seemed to be blocks put in place by the diagnostic loop, "Ok, look's like we each take one and see what happens." Andromeda opened the first door, and the ground beneath her fell away. Harper looked into the hole, "Ok, wrong door." Andrew nodded, "Ok, let's see what's behind door number two." He opened the door, and was intently engulfed in a fireball. The heat of the blast made Harper jump back. He landed against the third door, and it fell open.

To Be Continued…


	10. A beautiful mind

Sorry folks: I got addicted to cliffhangers while writing SG-1 fiction.

Chrysalis, part 10

Harper landed on his back, looking up at a clear blue sky.

He tilted his head: the doorway was still visible, as was the VR-matrix beyond, but all around him where trees and flowers. He sat up, looking around, trying to workout where he was: It looked like a garden Trance had dragged him to once while on shore leave, all bright colures and birdsong. A gravel pathway leading away from the door, deeper into the greenery.

For want of a better thing to do, he followed it.

*********************************************************************

Trance looked on worriedly as Andrew opened his eyes, "What happened? Where's Harper?" The Avatar rubbed his head, "Hay, last thing I remember was a wall of flame. Are his vitals still stable?" Trance nodded, "Yes." Andrew sighed, "Then it's up to him."

*********************************************************************

The gravel crunched under Harper's feet as he walked along the path, travelling deeper and deeper into the garden that was Rommie's mind. He recognised some of the plants from hydroponics, but others where alien to him. He rounded a corner and stopped. The gazebo was covered in vines that trailed up its supports and around the pointed top. A wooden bench was placed underneath, and a familiar figure was sitting with her back to the path. "Rommie?" Harper asked, "Is that you?"

Rommie turned her head to face him, "Hello Seamus. Come, sit with me."

*********************************************************************

Dylan stood in the doorway between the med deck and Rommie's room, his eyes moving from his wife's body to Harpers and back again, "What's taking so long?"

*********************************************************************

Confused more than ever, Harper sat as instructed, "Where are we?" Rommie turned to look at the manicured lawn, "Royal gardens on Tarn-Vedra. Andromeda visited them once." She smiled slightly, "I wasn't her first Avatar you know. There was one before me, back even before Dylan became captain. She was destroyed by the Magog when Andromeda was sent to find the origin of the Magog invasion and ran into the World Ship."

Harper blinked, "Why didn't they replace her?" Rommie shrugged, "I don't know. There are a lot of things that are still blurry, even after the personality merger. Maybe the High Guard was scared that people would see her and, not know her memory had be erased, try and talk to her." She sighed, "I don't have all her memories, only bit, places and names, but I do remember this garden. So why'd they send you in here?" Harper sighed, "What's happening? You should be ok, but you're still stuck in the diagnostic loop." Rommie smiled, "I don't know for sure, but I don't think it's anything bad. Dylan must be going crazy with worry." Harper chuckled, "He is. He misses you, we all do."

Rommie patted him on the knee, "I don't think it'll take much longer. Time for you to go: it's going to rain." Storm clouds had started to role in from across the distant mountains. Forks of lightning and ominous thunderclaps shook the ground. Rommie turned to Harper, "You have to go now: the link is destabilising. Listen, if something goes wrong, if I don't make it, tell Dylan I love him, and I wouldn't trade my time with him for anything."

The last words where all but frowned out by the thunder, and Harper felt like his body had been grabbed by an invisible hand and dragged backwards at high speed.

To Be Continued…


	11. Time's up

Once again my muse is M.I.A.: I haven't been able to write in days.

Chrysalis, part 11

Harper sat bolt upright with a gasp, sweat pouring off of him.

Trance was immediately at his side, "Are you ok?" He nodded, trying not to hyperventilate, "I'm fine, I'm fine. Man, that was some trip." Dylan almost ran over, "What happened? You where in there for almost 5-muinets after Andrew was thrown out of the link."

Harper nodded, finally getting his breathe back, "I got through and found Rommie: She's ok." Dylan visibly relaxed, "Dose she know what's going on?" Harper shook his head, carefully removing the probe from his data port, "She says she doesn't, but she thinks it isn't anything bad. We didn't have time to go into any further details before the storm hit."

Dylan blinked, "Storm? What storm?" Harper tried to stand, but his legs refused to hold his weight, and he almost fell to the flour. Trance grabbed him, her surprisingly gentle touch holding him up, "Sit." Harper sat back on the bed, "Sorry. We where in a VR replica of what she said was the Royal gardens on Tarn-Vedra: it was all grass and trees, with mountains in the distance. A storm appeared out of nowhere, and I got pulled out as the link collapsed."

"The mountains," Dylan asked, "What colure where they?" Harper scratched his head, "Purple, with white snow on the top." Dylan's mouth was dry, "And the path was…" "Crushed marble." Harper jumped in, finishing the other mans sentence for him. Trance looked at the two of them, "What dose that all mean?" Dylan sat down on the bed next to Harper, "He just described perfectly a place that I have known my entire life, yet there is no way he could have ever been there." He turned to Harper, "Did she say anything else?" Harper nodded, "Yes, but it was only for you." Trance nodded, getting the message, "I'll go and see to Paul." She walked off across the room to where the infant was laying.

Harper took a deep breath, "Rommie really doesn't know what's going on, and she's not even sure if she'll survive it, but she gave me a massage for you: she said to say that she loves you, and I wouldn't trade her time with you for anything." Dylan nodded, and walked off without saying a word.

*********************************************************************

Again Dylan found himself sitting alone in the small room, his eyes on his wife's unmoving form. He stood and walked across to her bed, and sat on the edge, "I can't remember the last time I told you how much you mean to me. I don't think love even begins to describe how I feel about you: you have always been the one person I could count on, no mater what. You are the rock that I clung to when all else was lost. You are the part of me that never gives up, the part that never has second thoughts. You are the better half of me. I need you Rommie. Come back to me."

*********************************************************************

Harper was slightly apprehensive when he reached the doorway: the two Nietzschean Lacers looked about as friendly as a Magog invasion, and having grown up on Earth, his fear of them was already instance. The senior of the two looked him over, then nodded, standing aside to let him through. Harper closed the door behind him and leaned against it for a moment: when he had first met Charlemagne Bolivar, he had assumed that the Sabra-Jaguar Pride where all talk and no trousers, but some of the troops they had provided where as big as Tyr. Dylan was asleep in his chair, his head resting on Rommie's bead. Harper sighed before shaking the other man's shoulders.

Dylan woke with a start, "Huh! What?" Harper sighed, "We've finished the repairs to the slipstream drive, and our friend the Ambassador is getting very uppity about moving on." Dylan nodded, " And still no proof that Robert Masters is a Genite agent. Ok, let's go: maybe the authorities on San-Ska-Re will be able to find out what happened. Is Beka in command?"

Harper nodded, "We're good to go." Dylan walked across to the com-unit, "Andromeda, give me command." There was a bleep followed by Beka's response, "I take it Harper gave you the good news." Dylan sighed, "Yes. There's nothing more we can do here without starting a diplomatic incident. Let's go." Beka sounded understandably angry, "Setting slipstream co-ordinates for the next transfer point. And in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Slipstream."

Andromeda lurched as her slipstream drive opened a portal and hulled her into the null-space that made faster-than-light travel possible.


	12. Patriots and Tyrants

Ok, my Muse is playing games, so under TV crossovers, you'll find the start of the story 'Knife Edge', sequel my Andromeda/Stargate SG-1 story 'Eye of the Storm'.

Chrysalis, part 12

The Andromeda exited slipstream and almost immediately alarms started going off.

Beka looked at the main screen, "What the hell is going on?" Andromeda's face appeared, "I am detecting over a dozen ship's all around us. Beka, it's the Genites." The first officer reacted instantly, "Battle Stations!" The lights went blue as the Andromeda went to alert status.

*********************************************************************

Dylan heard the alarms going off and dashed to the com-unit,  "Andromeda, report." The AI's face appeared, "Dylan it's the Genite: they where waiting for us. Hold. The lead ship is hailing us." Dylan took a deep breath, "Put them through."

The image on the screen changed to show a well-groomed man in a Genite uniform, "Captain Dylan Hunt I presume. Commodore Thaddeus Hardcastle of the Knights of Genetic Purity, at you service." Dylan looked at the other man, "If you are indeed at my service, you will stand down and let us pass." Hardcastle shook his head, "I'm sorry captain, but I can't. If it was up to me I would, but like you, I have my orders. Please, surrender before anyone get's hurt."

Dylan's eyes narrowed, "People have already been hurt, and your being here has confirmed that your organisation was behind it. In the name of the restored Systems Commonwealth, I ask you to surrender." Hardcastle sighed, "I'm sorry it has come to this Captain, I truly am. Among the other Knights, I am considered to be a liberal: I have no quarrel with you, only the Nietzscheans who brought down the old Systems Commonwealth. But you have left me no choice." The screen went blank.

Andromeda's face reappeared, "Dylan, we're being targeted by the Genite ship's. They're firing." The ship shook as a few missiles made it past the PDL system. Dylan looked round the room, torn between staying with his wife and heading to command. In the end, he knew the only way to help Rommie was to defeat the Genite's and get proof that Masters worked for them. He turned to Harper, "Stay here, please." Harper nodded, "Sure thing boss: I'll keep an eye on her for you."

The ship shook again as more missiles hit, but Andromeda had already turned to face her attackers, and was returning fire.

*********************************************************************

In the hallway outside, a pair of stealthy figures moved along towards the room, Gauss pistols drawn. The lead held up third hand to stop the second, and carefully looked round the corner: the two Nietzschean Lancers stood watch, their forcelances out and ready.

Two carefully aimed shot's ended their lives in a heartbeat.

*********************************************************************

Dylan opened the door to find himself looking down the barrel of Gauss gun.

Masters' face was deadpan, "Please, make a scene captain, and give me an excuse." Dylan looked passed the security agent to the figure beyond, "So it was you after all." Ambassador Spencer smiled, "You really think we'd let you get away with what you've done? It's not ad enough that you're genes aren't pure, but to become involved with an Android? This I can't understand."

Trance made the mistake of choosing that moment to walk round the corner, Paul cradled in her arms. Spencer smiled winded to a grin, "Well the gangs all here now." She drew her own weapon and pointed it at Trance, "Before you get any bright ideas Miss Gemini, I've read you file: I doubt very much that I could 'kill' you, but that chilled you carry is not as robust as you appear to be." Her gun flicked to the side slightly, "Over against the wall." Trance did as she was told.

The mired of possible futures opened up before Trance, and most of them where bad. She knew that the most important thing she could do was to protect Paul: his destiny was like a shinning beacon on the darkness. The only problem was, she didn't now how to protect him. True, Spencer's gun wouldn't kill her permanently, and she could turn so her body protected the baby in her arms from danger, but it would still take her time to regenerate, and there was no way to know what would happen in that time.

Masters' eyes hadn't left Dylan or Harper, "Lose the weapons and step out into the corridor, nice and slow." Dylan carefully removed his forcelance from its holster and tossed it to the ground, while Harper did the same with his Gauss pistol. They moved over to stand next to Trance.

Spencer smiled, "Now I want you to tell your crew to cease fire and signal your surrender." She moved her gun so it was pointed directly at Paul, "And don't think for a moment I won't do it: I haven't been ordered to hurt the infant, but it's life means nothing to me." Dylan slowly nodded, "Andromeda, stand down and surrender."

The AI's holographic form appeared, "Dylan, are you sure that such a good…" She stoped when she saw the weapons, and were they where pointed. Dylan nodded, "I', sure." Spencer looked at the hologram, "And don't try any funny stuff, or you'll be looking for a new captain. Now clear a path to the nearest escape pod." Andromeda nodded, "50 to the port side, two decks down. There are no crewmembers between there and here."

Spencer motioned with her gun, "Well Dylan, you're the captain: lead on." Masters grabbed Trance roughly by the forearm, "And don't make any sudden moves, or I'll re-decorate the walls brain-mater gray."

*********************************************************************

The grope made its way along the deserted corridors towards the escape pod. Dylan looked over his shoulder at Spencer, "You realise that the Nietzscheans are going to know that New Salem is a Genite base now, and will probably destroy the planet." Spencer laughed, "You really think I care about those fools? They where useful, a tool to use when we tried to convince you that Drago-Kazov where behind the attack. But like any tool, they where untimely expendable."

Dylan shook his head, "You're willing to condemn an entire planet to death to cover your actions?" Spencer shrugged, "What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure."

"_When great evils happen, I am in the habit of looking out for what good may arise from them as consolations to us, and Providence has in fact so established the order of things, as that most evils are the means of producing some good_." A voice said from behind, "Jefferson was good, but I've always been of the opinion that Churchill was the better speaker."

Spencer span round, "You!"

To Be Continued


	13. Back!

_Sorry Troll, but you're as bad at cliffhangers as me._

Chrysalis, part 13

Leaning against the wall to keep steady, and clad only in her hospital gown, Rommie stood, Dylan's forcelance held tightly in her outstretched hand, "Me."

For Dylan, everything seemed to go into slow motion.

Masters span round, his Gauss gun tracking round to point at Rommie.

She reacted quicker, the forcelance shifting to the side, the effectors intercepting the incoming rounds, stopping them mid-flight. She returned fire with a pair of smart-rounds that struck the Genite agent in the hand, effectively severing it from his arm. The gun fell to the floor, and he released Trance, his free hand moving to cover the bloody stump.

Spencer brought her own gun round, but Rommie released her grip on the wall. Her legs gave out, and she dropped to the floor, outside of the other woman's line of fire.

Trance took the opportunity to maker her move: cradling Paul in her arms, she leapt for the nearest ladder, and slid down two decks.

Rommie hit the floor with a bone-jarring thump, and fired again, hitting Spencer in the chest twice. The former Ambassador fell against the wall, her gun flying from her hand in shock.

Dylan's training took over as time resumed its normal pace: he leapt forward, grabbing the Genites gun as he slid to a halt between Rommie and the two enemy agents. Harper dived for the gun Master had dropped, and turned it on its owner.

The entire fight took less than 10-seconds.

Dylan quickly made his way to Rommie's side, drawing her into a tight embrace, "I was getting worried about you." He joked, tires in his eyes. Rommie returned the embrace, "Your not getting rid of me that easily Hunt."

Spencer moaned as she tried to sit up: her sneak-suit's ablative armour had stopped the bullets, but there had still been enough force behind them to drive the air from her lungs and bruise her ribs. Rommie brought her forcelance back up, "Go right ahead bitch, make my day!"

Eyes glairing straight at Rommie, Spencer slowly raised her hands, "You realise that this changes nothing: Commodore Hardcastle has orders to destroy this ship if we are killed or captured, and as powerful as this ship may be, it is still no match for us."

Andrew rounded the corner, followed be a squad of very angry looking Nietzscheans. Dylan nodded at the Avatar as he helped Rommie to her feet, "Take them to medical first, but I want them in their cells ASAP." Andrew nodded, and then turned to Rommie with a smile, "I was beginning to get worried about you."

Beka cut in over the link, "Hate to brake up the party, but will still have more than a dozen Genite warship's to deal with. I think they're catching on to their friends not coming home." Dylan rubbed his forehead with his free hand, "Distance to slipstream?" Beka checked the figures, "Unless you want to get out and push, we're in deep trouble. Hold on. Slipstream portal opening. Dylan, it's the Wrath of Achilles."

Dylan's head went back in relief, "Tell Captain Ryan he's more than welcome to join the party."

*********************************************************************

The battle didn't last long: the advanced CMX attack-cruiser tipped the scales in Andromeda's favour, and the remaining Genite ship's fled to slipstream.

Dylan helped Rommie back to medical, where the doctors ran more tests on her. The results where confusing: the nano-bots had transformed more of her in to organic material, vastly altering her systems. They needed to run more test, but it looked like a lot had changed.

"Here's what we know for sure." The explained, "The nano's went back to their old job, but at a greatly-increased rate. It took two years for them to generate Rommie's, reproductive system, but in the past 96-hours they have replaced her entire digestive system, and part of her brain."

Rommie blinked, "I though things seemed different." Trance nodded, "I know your android brain was advanced, but it was still nowhere near as complex as an organic one. We don't know what the lasting effects may be, but your mind will work slightly faster, and les logically." She took another deep breath, "There is something else."

Dylan looked at her, his arms round Rommie protectively, "What aren't you telling us?" Trance sighed, "The increase in Rommie's organic make-up means she may no live as long as we first fault, in fact she may have a normal human life span. You're not as tuff as you used to be. You'll need to be careful: it is possible that you could be killed by injuries that wouldn't have stopped you before."

Rommie was confused, "What are you saying?"

Trance smiled slightly, "You're almost human."

To Be Continued…


	14. The Edge Of Human

Ok, I've started reading _Blade Runner 2: The Edge Of Human_, so this could get a little philosophical…

Chrysalis, part 14

Dylan wasn't surprised to see an entire squad of heavily armed Lancers waiting outside the cell: they had taken the deaths of two of their number personally. He handed his forcelance over to the sergeant leading the unit and the door opened.

Spencer was sat cross-legged on the metal bunk bolted to the far wall, "So you've finally decided to come see me." Dylan pulled the small chair closer and sat on it, "I was told your where shouting and screaming demanding to see me." Spencer nodded, "I waned to give you one last chance to repent your sins."

Dylan laughed, "I hate to be the one to brake it to you, but it's not like you're in any position to lecture me on repentance: at the lat count you're facing charges of murder, attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, smuggling, impersonating a registered diplomat, kidnapping, membership of an illegal organisation, and anything else that Tyr can find in the legal texts that'll fit."

Spencer shrugged, "Considering most of those so-called 'crimes' where committed against Nietzscheans and your 'wife', I would hardly consider my position as being all that grave."

Dylan shook his head, "You really don't see it do you? You can't comprehend that fact that what you did was wrong. Do you have any sense of right and wrong, any moral fibber what so ever? You claim that Rommie isn't human, yet she displays more human emotion then I have ever seen one of your so-called 'Knights of Genetic Purity'.  Nietzscheans I can understand. Than-Thre-Kull, Perseids, even Nightsiders, I can understand, but you people deify my ability to comprehend."

Spencer looked at him, "You where born during the time of the Commonwealth, you even lived on Tarn-Vedra. Doesn't it anger you to see what the Nietzscheans did with their little play for power? What the universe has become because they where engineered to be treacherous, devious, backstabbing? Haw can you stand there and call them your friends?"

Dylan shrugged, "You're right, it dose anger me to see what the universe has become after The Fall, but I don't blame every Nietzschean alive today for the actions of their ancestors 300-years ago. Commodore Hardcastle, I could under stand him: he's a man of honour and integrity, and if things had worked out differently, he could have been one hell of a High Guard officer."

Spencer snorted, "Hardcastle's a fool: he should have blown this ship to atoms rather tan try and talk you down. He's weak, unworthy of his position." She looked at Dylan, "And how can you claim that that 'thing' that shares your bed is more human than I am? It's a freak, the result of a scientific misadventure. She may have survived this time, but that was not the only EMP grenade we have."

Dylan smiled, "It's interesting you should bring that up: in order to repair the damage done to the organic parts of Rommie's body when the EMP grenade went off, we had to re-activate the maintenance nano-bots that have her the ability to reproduce in the first place. They repaired the damage, and a lot more." He could see he had Spencer's full attention, "They started altering the rest of her, but at a greatly increased rate." He laughed, "She's more human now than she was before. They tell me that an Electro-magnetic pulse wouldn't even faze her now."

Spencer's jaw dropped, but Dylan stood before she could say anything, "I here that Than prison's are very, how shall I put it, basic. Have fun." With that, he left.

*********************************************************************

Dylan lay in bed, unable to sleep. Even the reassuringly warm feel of Rommie curled up at his side was not enough to relax him. Spencer's words had frightened him: the Genite's weren't only after him, they where after his family was well.

His eyes travelled over to the cot at the end of the bed: Paul was sleeping peacefully, something he'd only just mastered. In all, he was probably affected by everything lest of all: he was only just old enough to be able to tell people apart, and had not really noticed that his mother was gone.

Rommie shifted, "Dylan, you're keeping me awake, and not in the way I like." Dylan looked down at his wife, "I'm sorry, I just can't get what Spencer said out of my head: the Genite's are after us, after you. How are we meant to live with that sort of threat dangling over our heads all the time?" Rommie stretched her arm across his chest, "Dylan, we live on a warship, trying to keep the peace in a hostile universe. We could get ambushed by one of a number of enemies tomorrow and die. We can't predict the future. Well, Trance can, but she's not talking."

Dylan brushed a few stray strands of hair way from Rommie's face, "I know, I know. We accepted this life for ourselves when we took our oaths of service, but Paul didn't. He doesn't know that there are people out there who will gladly kill him just because he's our son. Where we right to bring him into this universe when there are so many uncontrollable factors."

Rommie rested her had on his shoulder, "Dylan, we could spend the next hundred years debating the pros and cons of raising a child in the post-Fall universe, but you're forgetting the one reason that really counts: hope. We have to hope that we can make the universe a safer place for him; otherwise what's the point of doing any of this? Go to sleep Dylan: we have the rest of our lives to work this out."

*********************************************************************

Beka pressed the chime on Dylan's office door, and was surprised when the door opened automatically, "Dylan, you in here?" Her voice echoed around the empty room. She took a step in, and a flexi sitting on the table, her name written on the top. The tapped the corner to open the message:

_Dear Beka,_

_Sorry to leave you in the lurch like this, but we need some time alone, just the three of us. We know that there will be a lot of work for you to handle, but we are going to be in space dock for two weeks repairing the damage done by the __Genite's in anyway, so we decided to split town for a few days. We promise to return the Maru in the same condition we borrowed it in._

_And don't bother asking Andromeda where we've gone: she's sworn to secrecy._

_See you when we get back,_

_Dylan and Rommie._

_PS: if you're still wondering why you're feeling a bit off in the mornings, I think you should go see Trance in Medical. She may have some news for you…_

_Love,_

_R_

*********************************************************************

The Eureka Maru drifted silently through space, its engines on idle. If not for the beacon flashing out a continuous signal, it may have been mistaken for a derelict, but then, most people don't venture this far out into inter- stellar space.

The youngest of its three occupants stirred momentarily, before joining its parents in much needed sleep, blissfully unaware of what the future had in store for it.

Outside, the universe went on pretty much the same as it always had: one second at a time.

The End 

Ok, that's the end of that.

I do feel a bit sad, but like the song says: every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end. As soon as I've finished _Knife Edge_, I'm going to start work on _Friends and Family_, the third of my Harper/Mary stories.

Watch this cyber-space…


End file.
